[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Someone Noticeable" Episodes 8-10

Considering how the very first scenes of "Someone Noticeable" started us out with a shockingly sad and irreversible twist of fate, I can't much resent the drama on following through with that. As nice as it would be to believe that a single screenwriting breakthrough is all it takes to get closure...that's just not how it works. The way An clings to Jin-yeong's phone is symbolic of her unwillingness to let go of him in general. That, more than their separation, is the real conflict.

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At least that's how I'm choosing to interpret it because wow, when the last episode finally shows us the terms of their break-up, it really hurts. The worst of it is that we can see the escalation. In episode eight, they had a fight about something ironically stupid. In episode nine, Jin-yeong is visibly disappointed at An's lack of romantic spirit. Then in episode ten, Jin-yeong and An decide to be offended and proud instead of trying to resolve their fairly minor relationship problem.

We watched An very slowly melting down through these ten episodes over repressed grief owing to guilt stemming from that stupid break-up. The scene where she finally breaks down and cries is legitimately painful to watch, because even An herself can't process these feelings. The presence of the phone, and the positive warmth of An's memories, were just a salve to prevent An from accepting reality. It's a beautiful metaphor.

I do find myself questioning one aspect of the drama's production- the Jin-yeong co-worker. His vaguely romantic interest feels uncomfortable, since in practice he's An's therapist. Which admittedly is part and parcel of An's own characters flaws. She didn't really have any friends outside of her boyfriend, and people at work don't count. The new Jin-yeong is the main obvious concrete unavoidable change in An's life. The presence of one Jin-yeong means the other isn't around.

An's acceptance of that is what creates the very abrupt ending. An disappears into thin air because metaphorically, the An that we know, the An who has been in denial and just pretending like she was in a classic love story this entire time...that person is gone. Once An accepts the truth of what has happened, she has to move on to a different portion of her life. There's the long road to emotional recovery. Can the new Jin-yeong help her? Maybe, maybe not. That would be an entirely new story.

Review by William Schwartz

"Someone Noticeable" is directed by Lim Hyeon-wook, written by Yoon I-na-I, and features Choi Soo-young, Lee Won-keun, Shim Hee-sub and Jeon Hye-jin.